It is common in automotive vehicles to have a hood ornament. One common type of mounting system for a hood ornament comprises connecting a wire to a fixed loop on the hood ornament. The wire is passed through a spring and hooks on the bottom of the spring. The extent of deflection or compression of the spring determines the amount of deflection of the hood ornament upon encountering an obstacle. One of the most common problems with such an ornament retention system is that the wire is readily accessible and can be cut or otherwise deformed by thieves or vandals.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide an ornament retention system which is not readily broken by thieves or vandals; which will permit proper functioning and the required degree of deflection without exposing parts sufficiently so that they can readily be severed; wherein the amount of deflection is pre-selected to prohibit theft or vandalism; and which also can be connected to operate an alarm system.
In accordance with the invention, the ornament retention system comprises an ornament having a base. A mounting element is engaged by the base and a tubular connecting rod is connected to the base by a wire. The wire extends through the rod and is fixed to the rod. A tube surrounds the rod. The tube is interconnected to the mounting element. A stop member is provided on the end of the rod and a spring surrounds the rod and is interposed between the mounting element and the stop member.